If Love Should Count You Worthy
by WriterFreak001
Summary: Ed is coming back home for good after his trip from the west, and he and Winry are very happy and in love. But what would happen if someone tries to destroy that happiness and succeeds? Can Ed and Winry recover from the damage and salvage their relationship? Read and Find out.
1. Chapter 1

**WriterFreak001:**

 **I felt inclined to write another one. :) Thank you to those who reviewed my most recent one shot, "Safe."**

* * *

 **Title:** If Love Should Count You Worthy

 **Anime:** Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

 **Description:** Ed is coming back home for good after his trip from the west, and he and Winry are very happy and in love. But what would happen if someone tries to destroy that happiness and succeeds? Can Ed and Winry recover from the damage and salvage their relationship? Read and Find out.

 **Rating:** T

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

She stretched her arms after a long morning of tweaking Ed's newest leg model and stood up from her chair with a long stretch, arching her back backwards like a cat to pop the kinks out. Winry knew she shouldn't have spent all night working on an automail model before her best and favorite client arrived, but because she wanted it ready for him when he returned this morning, she couldn't resist. Down to the smallest detail, the leg was pure perfection. It was made of the newest and strongest alloy metal capable of enduring more extreme weather than her previous designs. Not only could it endure harsher weather climates, it was more durable yet lightweight too! Though Ed didn't really get into fights that often anymore, she wanted to be sure he had _the best_ installed for all intents and purposes.

While Winry adored Ed's current design, rebuilding and redesigning his automail leg was one of the only things she could do to keep herself busy as she waited for him to come home. Sure, he popped in every few months or so for a maintenance check and to visit his parents' graves, but it wasn't the same as knowing he was done traveling for a while. After she'd meet him at the station and accompanied him home, it would seem like the appropriate time to reveal her greatest treasure.

That idiot better like it for all the months she spent slaving over its design.

And after weeks of sheer hard work, her best creation was ready to be tested, and she could hardly wait for Ed to wear it.

Carefully, she lifted the prosthetic off of the table and cradled it in her arms as she carried it to a foam case sitting on her bed. After enclosing and locket it, she gently slid the case underneath her bed. Noting the time, Winry quickly changed into her favorite pair of jeans, a black short-sleeved top, and her brown sandals before slipping on Ed's old tan jacket. Zipping it up halfway, she flipped her hair out from underneath the hood and combed her fingers through her blonde mane before heading for the door.

As Winry descended the stairs, she spotted Granny in the kitchen making a fresh pot of coffee. "Hey, Ed's train is gonna be arriving soon; I think I'm gonna meet him there instead of staying and waiting here." She opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of milk before pouring it into a glass on the counter. "Unless you need me here for something…."

"No, go ahead," Granny chuckled before pouring herself a cup of coffee. "That bean sprout has made you wait long enough." She paused for effect and smirked at her granddaughter. You want my advice? Take that bastard to the courthouse this afternoon and get married so I can have grandchildren before I'm pushing daisies."

"Graaaanny!" Winry's cheeks flushed pink. "Ed and I… our relationship is complicated! Besides…," her cheeks were now a shade darker, "I haven't even told him how I feel yet…"

"That might be so, but I'm sure he already knows," Pinako quietly took a sip of her coffee and pulled out a chair from the kitchen before sitting in it, "You and I both know the two of you weren't exactly innocent during those two years before Ed left for the west. And how about all the times he visited too?" The sly woman was smirking ear to ear, "If I remember correctly, you couldn't keep your hands off him nearly five months ago. If that's not a confession, I don't know what is."

Her eyes widened. "You know?!"

"Nothing gets passed me, hon." Pinako deadpanned, and Winry's entire body flushed with embarrassment.

"T-That doesn't mean we're ready for marriage… B-Besides, Ed's proposal two years ago shouldn't even count. He didn't even specify marriage. He just wanted to be sure I'd be here waiting for him. That's all." _At least that was what she was telling herself these days._

Pinako chuckled maniacally. "Marry him sooner than later. I want grandchildren, and if you ask me, I'd prefer you two are wedded before a child rolls down the tube. With as many times you two have rolled in the hay, so to speak, I'm surprised you haven't conceived yet."

"We've been careful," Winry replied, but then paused. "Wait, I shouldn't have to explain my love life to you." If Winry's face didn't resemble a tomato earlier, then it certainly did now. The young mechanic marched towards the back door swiftly, mumbling like a madwoman to herself before huffing her cheeks and exclaiming, "This conversation is over! I'll see you when I get back!"

Without another word, Winry stormed out of the house and slammed the door, hard. Pinako waited a few beats before grinning widely to herself. "Just like Ed," she muttered, "she's _way_ too easy."

* * *

By the time Winry had walked to the end of the pathway leading away from her house, she had cooled down, too excited to see Ed to let her conversation – or lack thereof – with her grandmother ruin her day. She knew, for the most part, that her grandmother was merely teasing her, but her comments on marriage really rubbed Winry the wrong way.

Did she want to marry Ed? Of course. Of course, she did. She loved him with all her heart and smiled at the thought of one day marrying Edward Elric, but… _because_ he hadn't mentioned it _once_ since he left for the west two years ago, Winry couldn't help but wonder if marriage was something he still wanted with her….

And if he did, then when?

She could only wait so long…

As she approached the town, she groaned when she was immediately spotted by one of her neighbor's sons, the annoying, good-for-nothing fleabag, Erik Schlimme. He was a year older than Edward, and unlike her boyfriend, Erik had short, spikey, dark brown hair and had a darker skin tone too. There was something disturbing about the way he looked at her sometimes, and it often made her shiver. Now was no different as his eyes lit up and his lips curved to a soulless smile.

She absolutely had no time to deal with this jerk today. She thought about ducking behind a barrel and then crawling away from the main road before cutting through the fields to get to the train station on time, but by the time he was approaching her, her exit strategy wasn't even worth the effort.

While Erik seemed like a nice enough guy to everyone else and often helped his dad at the local auto repair shop, Winry knew differently. Long since before Ed lost his limbs, she could always tell Erik had a thing for her from the way he was always observing her… randomly meeting her on the streets as if he knew ahead of time where she was heading… He never tried anything when they were younger; in fact, he was nicer then. Always asking about automail when he got the chance and seemed interested in what she was telling him – unlike Edward, but the older they got, the more uncomfortable she felt being around him.

Almost two days after Edward would leave for God knows where, he would always attempt to ask her out, but she would always give him the same answer.

When she was younger, it was, "Sorry, I'm too busy with my automail to date."

A few years ago, "Sorry, Erik. But I have feelings for someone else.

And since Edward left for the west, "You know damn well I'm dating Ed, Erik. Stop asking!"

He'd always smile that soulless smile and say, "That's okay, Winry. Maybe next time I'll get lucky."

She almost decked him four months ago when he tried bribing her to cheat on her fiancé, claiming Ed would never know a thing if neither of them told him. She ended up smacking him instead. And when she found out, the next day, she had given him a bruised handprint, she was very proud of herself. Next time, she might accidentally use her wrench if he wasn't careful.

"Hi Winry!" He beamed as he planted his feet in front of her, his annoying presence blocking her path towards the train station. "I hardly see you coming in to town; what gives? Need to order automail parts? Are you grocery shopping? Buying something for Pinako?" His smile transformed into a frown, and his eyes narrowed. "Or, are you heading towards the train station to see _him_."

"It's none of your business, Erik," Winry pursed her lips as she swiftly circled around him and hastened her pace. "But if you must know," she knew he was following, "Yes. Ed is coming home today, and in a few months, we'll be getting married." She didn't know why she said what she said, but after seeing the horrified expression marking Erik's face, she was glad she did. "Now if you'll excuse me," she flipped her hair with her palm, "I have somewhere to be."

Grateful he didn't follow, Winry marched towards the train station and took a seat along the building as she waited for the train to arrive. She exhaled deeply to quash the strong resentment she felt towards Erik and closed her eyes, focusing all her thoughts on Edward. A smile immediately replaced her frown, and she was grinning ear to ear when she heard the train whistle sound in the distance.

He was almost home. Almost here. Almost in her arms.

It felt like an eternity until the locomotive coasted to a stop next to the station, and she watched curiously as various people of different ages and sizes stepped off the train. And then she saw him, his golden eyes piercing hers instantly. She didn't even know she was walking up to him until he was standing a few inches in front of her with a big smile coloring his lips. Almost immediately, he dropped his suitcase to the ground and swept her into his arms, embracing her so tightly, she thought he would never let her go.

And he didn't want to.

Winry closed her eyes as she melted into his warmth and inhaled his earthy, intoxicating scent. He released her eventually but kept his arms hooked around her as if he was too afraid she'd disappear otherwise. "Hi."

She latched her fingers behind him and smirked. "Hey, yourself."

"I'm home," he lifted his right hand and lightly brushed a few strands of her blonde hair out of her face before sliding his hand back down to the small of her back.

Winry leaned forward and tightened her embrace around him as she leaned her cheek against his chest, wanting to hear the strong beat of his heart. She closed her eyes and savored this moment with him. "Yes, you are."

A few minutes passed between them, but they were oblivious to their surroundings. Heck, someone could walk off with Ed's belongings, and he wouldn't even know; that's how captivated he was by the woman in his arms. They swayed a little within the small space they were standing before Winry pushed a little bit away from his chest. Her deep blue eyes melted with his, and she quietly called his name. "Edward?"

"Hm?"

"Kiss me?"

He smirked and leaned forward slightly as his hands migrated to her face, cupping her cheeks gently. "I'd thought you'd never ask."

He never kissed her fast enough.

* * *

Edward clung to Winry's hand like it was his lifeline as they walked through Resembool, and he couldn't be happier. He used to never think he would ever turn out to be a mushy romance guy, but after tasting Winry's lips and making hot love to her for the first time a few years ago, it was hard to go back to the heartless jerk he was when he was younger.

When he and Al were searching for a way to restore their bodies, he wouldn't allow himself to be distracted by a relationship no matter how much he wanted to have one with his mechanic. When he saw her break down after finding out about Scar killing her parents, when she cried because of learning Hughes' death, when Kimbley and King Bradley threatened to harm her if he didn't do as they said, he had this insane desire to protect her. While she was being held hostage by Kimbley, though it was upsetting she was collateral, he was glad Winry was near because knowing she was safe had put him at ease.

Hawkeye was right when she said he loved her.

He _really_ loved her.

He just didn't know how much until he almost died in that mine collapse.

After promising half his life to Winry, traveling west while she stayed home was harder than he thought it would be. He called a lot more often than he did when he was younger, and he wrote as often as he could too. Receiving letters and calls from her made his heart leap for joy in ways he couldn't describe other than the fact that he couldn't _wait_ to return home – even if it was for a tune-up.

And during his infrequent visits, he and Winry would find any reason they could to sneak into her bedroom and have lots of sex to make up for the times he was away. The sex was amazing; pure bliss, and she was amazing at it. She knew just what to do to send him to oblivion, but what he loved the most was the way she'd exclaim his name as he brought her to her own high. It was an almost sacred cry; something only he'd ever hear from her, and just knowing he was going to spend the rest of his life with Winry made every sexual encounter all the more special and meaningful.

Now that he was home for good, he planned to treasure her daily, wanting to show her, in every capacity, that he loved her with every fiber of his being.

"So what do you wanna do?" Winry eventually asked, her question blissfully interrupting his thoughts. "Go home and unpack? Go to the Sheep Festival? Get some breakfast?"

"Hmm," Ed pretended to think for a moment, "let's go home first so I can drop my suitcase off. I also need you to look at my leg," he pointed to his metal shin. "I think it's too short."

Winry flashed a beaming grin as she squeezed his hand a little. "Actually, I made you a new prosthetic. I think it's my best yet!"

"Oh?" Ed's eyebrows lifted, and he grinned. "Sounds great."

"I think you're going to love it," Winry was smiling ear to ear as she tugged on his hand, wanting to get home sooner than later. "It's made out of a new alloy metal capable of withstanding harsher weather climates. I know you're not travelling anytime soon, but if you decide to head up to Drachma to visit the north, it'll be durable in the snow and will provide you less discomfort to your port. The same would apply to hotter climates as well. It's a lighter alloy metal that doesn't absorb heat as fast as others do. If we're ever invited to Xing by Emperor Ling, your new leg will be able to travel longer distances in the dessert without getting too hot. I anticipated a small growth spurt since you've been growing a few centimeters every couple of months, so hopefully my estimates were correct. If not, it'll be a swift an easy fix."

Ed was surely impressed. Did she always put so much thought into the automail she made him? "Sounds like a great model," he smirked. "Can't wait to try it on."

Winry beamed. "Oh! That's right. I almost forgot. Another benefit to his prosthetic is that it's less prone to rust after getting wet. You'd still have to dry the leg, but there's a longer window of time before the rusting starts, so to speak. So if you take a dip in the lake and you forgot to bring your towel, then the metal won't start rusting until at least twenty-four hours after being submerged in water. In the past, it was almost a few hours afterwards, not it's almost a day."

Ed gave her a thumb's up. "Sounds like you're going to be the best automail mechanic in all of Amestris."

Winry flushed. "Well, to tell you the truth, though I take pride in joy in your new leg, I don't know if I'll make this type of prosthetic for everybody. I made it for you because of necessity. Not everyone knows people in Xing or in the North so it would be a waste of money to order more alloy metal if it's not going to be needed. Each of my costumers have different needs for their automail so I cater my designs to fit their needs. Every creation is custom to the patient. Nothing is like the other." She was looking down at the ground as the reached the path leading home, and looked up when Ed squeezed her hand.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

Winry's cheeks blushed a deeper shade of red. "You're only saying that because we're together."

"No, I really mean it! Not every mechanic has the patience to fit automail differently for every customer. When I was in Rush Valley, many of the engineers were selling multiple copies of the same model, but you… you put soul into the automail you make. You care about each of your patients and you give them exactly what they need individually. It's no wonder you were popular in Rush Valley under Garfiel's apprenticeship. You exceed expectation and make each and every model for your patients unique and different from the others. You personify them, and that's awesome, Win. Really, _really_ awesome." Ed twirled her around until she was facing him and then he leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly. "I'm proud of you."

Winry's heart soared from her fiancé's kind and thoughtful words. She never realized how observant he was about her life in Rush Valley. "Thanks, Ed," she pushed up onto her tip toes and kissed him deeply. "Your vote of confidence means a lot."

Ed smirked and kissed her once more before he started walking towards the house. With their fingers still entwined, they walked together quietly, enjoying the welcomed silence between them. Ed's eyes followed Winry as she slipped her hand from his and started racing up the steps, urging him to hurry.

He chuckled and shook his head slowly before following her inside.

Finally, Ed was home.

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 **More to come!**

 **Pleeeease let me know what you think. Receiving Reviews is how I know if writing fics are even worth my time. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**WriterFreak001:**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed this story. :) It was a pleasant surprise! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"I'm connecting your nerves now," Winry said as she aligned his new leg with its port, and before counting to three, like she usually did, Edward felt the sharp sting shoot through his body, making him cringe. "There," Winry leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against the scarred tissue around his port before beaming widely at him, "All done."

The tingling sensation wore off quickly, and the first thing the former alchemist did was hop to his feet and kick his foot into the air. "Oh wow! There really _is_ a difference! Too bad I can't spar with Al to test it out."

Winry rolled her eyes and chuckled as she disappeared inside her bathroom to wash the oil off her hands. "You two can spar in a few days," she called out to him as the water turned on.

Ed poked his head inside with an ecstatic smile. "Really?!"

"Mhmm!" Winry giggled quietly and splashed cold water on his face before leaning towards him to kiss his lips. "He called yesterday," she reached for her hand towel to dry her hands. "He said he was coming home for a little while. He's bringing Mei, too."

Ed's smile twisted to a smirk, and he chuckled softly. "And _he_ said she was only a nice girl."

"Be nice," Winry playfully smacked his shoulder after turning off the faucet. "By the way," she took his hand and led him towards her bed, "Granny knows about us…"

"Well she should," Edward blinked, taking a seat on the mattress. Winry parked herself between his legs and hooked her arms around his neck. "I mean, she did catch us making out on the porch once…. I thought that would have been a sure sign that we were dating each other."

"No, silly," Winry combed her fingers through his long, golden locks and bit her lip. "I mean… she knows about _us_ …."

Ed's grin faded, and he blanched. His eyes popped wide open as they found Winry's concerned ones. "She _knows_?" The mechanic nodded, her cheeks flushing deeply. His cheeks matched hers instantly. "Wha… How?! We were so careful! How'd she find out? Did she tell you?"

Winry shook her head. "No, but she seemed okay with it… I mean, she hasn't castrated you yet… A-And we're twenty, practically adults now…" The young blonde woman mindlessly twiddled her fingers behind Ed's neck. "And besides… after revealing what she knew, she only had one r-request."

"Let me guess…," Ed latched his hands behind her, "she wants us to move out and find our own place?"

"What? No," Winry shook her head slowly. _Although that might not be such a bad idea..._ Winry's whole body was hot from embarrassment. She just wished the ground would swallow her whole now that she had opened this Pandora's box. "All she said was…," she pursed her lips, not sure she could follow through.

"Just spit it out, Winry," Ed was bracing himself for the worst. He didn't think he would be able to bear it if the old bat demanded them to wait until marriage before making love again. But… if marriage was all that was standing in the way, then… they could rectify that pretty easily…. And technically, they _were_ engaged so it shouldn't be a surprise if they got married so quickly…

"Ed?" Winry waved a hand in front of him, breaking him from his thoughts. "Did you even hear what I said?"

"Huh?" Edward blinked and then gazed into Winry's deep blue eyes. "Did you say something?"

She sighed dramatically and smacked her head. "Granny _said_ she doesn't want us to hav—"

"Let's get married today," Edward suddenly blurted out, causing Winry to freeze in her spot.

Her eyes widened as if it was he said the most bizarre thing ever. "Whaaaa?!"

Edward tugged her towards him, his eyes never leaving hers for a second. "You asked me earlier what I wanted to do today, and I want us to go to the courthouse and get married," his voice fell as he noticed her surprise. "You look shocked… like getting married today was the last thing you expected."

Winry's face flamed tenfold and she found herself falling backwards as she backed away from him. "Married?! Today?! Why on earth today?!"

Ed's eye twitched; this was not the response he was expecting. "Don't you want to get married?"

"Yes, of course, but why today?!" Winry couldn't believe her ears, and Ed just stared at her like she had three heads. Why on earth would he want to rush things?

It was Ed's turn to blush. His accusatory finger pointed itself at her. "B-BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING TO SAY THAT GRANNY DIDN'T WANT US HAVING SEX AGAIN UNTIL WE WERE MARRIED!"

Winry clenched her fist, wishing she had her wrench nearby. She jumped to her feet and marched towards him. "SO, YOU ONLY WANT TO MARRY ME FOR THE SEX?!" She raised her hand to slap him, but Ed easily caught it and jumped to his feet.

"NO! OF COURSE NOT!" Ed growled in frustration and inhaled a deep breath before exhaling it slowly to calm his nerves. He planted his palms on Winry's shoulders and sighed dramatically. "The only reason I suggested getting married today was because I thought you were going to say that Granny didn't want us sleeping together if we weren't married. I can see how you might think I only want to marry you for sex, but hey," he smirked a little, "we're already having sex, and we're great at it. If we get married today or in three months, it wouldn't have an impact on how I feel about you or how we live our lives."

Ed chuckled a little and dropped his head to her shoulder before closing his eyes. "I guess I sort of panicked because Granny can be… very enforcing when she wants to be…, and I was afraid she'd kick me out if we continued sleeping together outside of marriage. That's why I suggested getting married today… but we don't have to if you don't want to." He turned his head and kissed her neck lightly. Winry closed her eyes and tipped her head to the side, allowing Edward easier access to her throat. "I want to marry you for you, Win. It doesn't matter when we marry just as long as it does happen." He lifted his head and grinned, "I'll leave it up to you on when you want us to get hitched."

"That's sweet, Ed," Winry muttered quietly as she took his hands in hers and squeezed his fingers tightly. "I _do_ wanna marry you, but I wanna also enjoy dating for a while before getting hitched. With you being gone a lot, we hardly ever went out to dinner when you were home so now that we have all the time in the world, I want to do those kinds of things first. And then, maybe in a few months, we'll sit down and discuss a date as well as figure out who we want to invite because…," Winry led Ed to her bed, and they both sat down on the mattress before she continued. "Well, I want a traditional wedding, Ed. I don't want to go to a courthouse and get married in fifteen minutes. I want to enjoy our wedding and celebrate it with friends and loved ones. I want to be able to wear a beautiful white dress and pledge my life to you in front of everyone. But," she leaned on his shoulder, "if that's not what you want, then…"

"I want that kind of wedding too," Ed cut her off quickly and grinned so hard, his jaws were hurting. "I want the biggest, flashiest, badass wedding in all of Amestris, and I want the whole damn country to know I'm marrying a Rockbell and damn proud of it."

Winry rolled her eyes and shook her head in dismay before bumping her shoulder to his. "You're such a weirdo sometimes."

He leaned backwards and stretched against her bed as he folded his hands behind his head before leaning on his fingers. "Admit it. You love this weirdo."

Winry smiled and fell backwards against the mattress before turning towards Ed and wrapping her arm around his torso. She curled her leg around his right one and pressed her cheek to his chest. She closed her eyes and melted into him as she softly muttered, "Yeah… I do."

"Damn straight," Ed's eyelids felt heavy, but he didn't let his tiredness stop him from wrapping his arm around his fiancée and pulling her closer to him.

He never slept so peacefully.

* * *

Winry stretched her arms and arched her back a little as she walked with Edward to the market later that day. She groaned quietly. "I can't believe we slept until noon! More than half of the day has been wasted."

Ed shrugged. "I was tired, you were tired; I say it was a win-win." He hooked his arm around hers and tugged her a little closer towards him before whispering, "Besides, now we won't fall asleep too soon tonight and can catch up on some lost time together."

A small smile colored Winry's pink lips as a light rosy hue painted her cheeks. "I guess there's an upside to everything…. Which reminds me, when Al and Mei arrive, you'll be bunking with me, Mei will use the guestroom down the hall, and Al will stay in the guestroom in the basement. I've already talked to them, and they're content with the arrangements. Will that be a problem?"

Ed shook his head, "No of course not. As long as Granny's okay with it."

Winry chuckled and lightly kissed Ed's shoulder. "Actually, she doesn't know about the arrangements yet. I haven't had time to tell her yet. I'll be sure to mention it today." Her eyes popped open. "Oh! I never told you what Granny said about our relationship!"

Ed stopped in his tracks and glanced at her. "What did she say?"

"She wants us married by the time we're pregnant with her first grandkid," Winry answered in a quiet mumble. "But don't worry," she quickly added, "I assured Granny we were taking precautions and ended that conversation pretty quickly." She tugged his arm towards the outdoor market and handed him the burlap sack before filling it with a few potatoes.

"Jeez that old hag needs to butt out sometimes," Ed muttered to himself and flashed a grin when Winry shot a glare at him.

"She's just showing us she cares," Winry defended her grandmother, making Ed feel a little bit guilty for his comment. He paid potato lady, and they moved onto the next vegetable.

"Okay, okay, you're right," he sighed before moving to kiss Winry's temple. "You're absolutely right."

"I know I am," Winry grinned and pointed to the bag of onions, "Now get those and drop them in the bag."

Ed reached for the onions and did as she instructed before handing another bill to the farmer. He then scratched his head and said to the man in front of him, "You might want to start a tab; we're gonna buy quite a bit."

…

Winry rose up to her feet and arched her back until it made a crackling noise before rolling her shoulders into place. She locked her fingers together and flexed them until her knuckles popped. She then turned towards her sitting boyfriend and smiled. "There's a few automail parts I need to order at the blacksmith shop; if you don't want to wait here, feel free to do some shopping on your own. It might take a while," the mechanic chuckled as she pulled out her list and presented it to Ed, "I've got a long list this time."

Ed's left eye twitched. "You sure you'll be able to afford all of that? Looks expensive."

"I have a deal with Mr. Schwartz," Winry beamed brightly. "He promised to order any automail parts I need in exchange for maintenance on his left automail arm. He lost his arm in the Ishvalan War," Winry's smile fell, and her voice cracked slightly. "Did you know that?"

Ed shook his head slowly and frowned. "No. I didn't."

Winry gazed down the street and mindlessly spoke. "A lot of people here, I've noticed, sustained injuries during the war. A few years ago, that fact would have surprised me, but… if you think about it, Resembool isn't too far away from Ishval…" she paused to curl a strand of hair behind her ear, not noticing when Ed stood up and planted himself right beside her. "I wonder if my parents helped any of them…"

"It's a possibility, I guess," Ed shrugged as his right palm lifted and then landed gently on top of Winry's head. He tipped his head towards hers and closed his eyes as his hand drifted towards her shoulder. He pulled her closer to him and turned slightly to kiss her temple. "But even if they didn't," Ed smiled softly as she slightly turned her face towards him, "Your parents were badass doctors who helped hundreds of people during the war. Your parents gave people second chances to live; that's an amazing ability. _Your_ parents, Winry," he ticked up the corner of his mouth to a smirk, "despite what anybody might say, were damn straight amazing. Just like you."

The mechanic blushed deeply, surprised by Ed's response. Instead of arguing with the last point in his argument, Winry exhaled a quiet sigh and smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Ed. That's sweet." She pecked his cheek lightly before turning to walk in the opposite direction. "I should be done in an hour, but just in case, I'm leaving the bags with you in case you need to get home before then. Don't feel like you have to wait for me if I'm not back at this bench in an hour."

"Actually, if you don't mind, I think I might go ahead and take these bags home and then come back; that should give you enough time to do what you need to do without distraction. If I'm not back here," he pointed to the bench, "by the time you're done, just go back to the Blacksmith shop and wait there, okay?"

Winry nodded, appreciative of his concern for her safety. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

On a typical day, Ed would just walk home and walk back to meet Winry again, but he didn't have time for sauntering today; now that Winry was busy for a good, solid hour, he was finally able to do what he had been wanting to do since he arrived in Resembool. So, instead of walking, he paid a cabbie to escort him back to the Rockbell house, quickly dropped off the groceries for Granny, and hopped back into the cab to be taken back to town.

When he arrived at his destination, he pulled out his old State Alchemist pocket watch and checked the time. Great. 35 minutes to spare. As he pushed open the double doors, he couldn't help but grin stupidly. Almost too excitedly, Ed swiftly marched towards the front desk and did his best to dampen his excitement as the Front Desk Lady looked up from whatever form she was filling out.

Slowly, she pushed her round glasses up towards the bridge of her nose and presented Ed with a ghostly smile. He would have shivered if he wasn't already too damn excited for his own good. "May I help you?"

Ed nodded, still grinning. "Came to check my mail… I should have received a package for today."

She yawned and smacked her lips together loudly. "Name?"

"Edward Elric."

She nodded as she wrote down his information before looking up again. "Do you have any sort of Identification Card on you?"

Ed dug his hand into his pocket before pulling out his card and handing it to the receptionist. She took her time making sure Ed wasn't some sort of imposter, and by the time she was finished with her report, he started growing impatient. "Look, do I have a package or not?"

"One moment," the woman handed Edward his identification card and pursed her lips before walking into a door behind the office. A few minutes later, she returned with a palm-size package. She looks at the packaging label. "Can you verify the name of the person who sent it?"

"Alphonse Elric," Ed replied swiftly. "He's my brother."

"Very well, Mr. Elric," she mumbled as she placed the package into Ed's awaiting palm. While he was thinking about it, he pulled a few bills from his pocket and handed them to the receptionist. "That should cover the delivery fee. Keep the difference." Without further ado, he left and pocketed the object after taking it out of its package. With approximately 25 minutes left until Winry was supposedly done with her order, since there was nothing left to do, Ed decided to make his way towards the blacksmith shop instead of waiting for her at the bench. On his way, he spotted her walking towards him, and her eyes lit up upon recognition. She smiled happily and waved timidly as she approached him, and he grinned, but as he caught up to her, he frowned, noticing the shadow of someone suddenly disappearing down an alley.

Winry blinked, realizing Ed's focus was behind her. She turned slightly, wondering what he could be staring at, but when she didn't see anything or anybody out of the ordinary, she turned back towards him with a cocked eyebrow. "Ed?" She tilted her head slightly when he didn't answer. Slowly, she leaned over to the side to block his view from whatever he was staring at until his eyes finally met hers. "You okay there?"

"Maybe I'm being paranoid, but did you notice…," he paused, wondering if he should even bring it up. He didn't want to scare her, but at the same time, he knew she could hold her own and defend herself pretty damn well…, and if he didn't mention it now, then he would certainly regret it later if something were to ever happen to her in the future… "Did you notice anybody following you?"

Winry sighed long and heavy, and her shoulders slumped. "You must have seen Erik Schlimme…, you know, one of the neighbor's sons… the one who works at the auto repair shop…," her voice faded and she glanced behind her one more time, wondering if Erik was listening in on their conversation. Leaning towards Edward, she hovered her lips up to his ear and whispered, "Let's go home… I'll explain later tonight, okay?"

Ed nodded slowly, his frown still evident as he peered over her shoulder again before mindlessly wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. "Okay."

She leaned into him and slid her arm behind his back, resting it along the small of his back. Silently and slowly, they walked home side by side, never releasing one another. The walk was long, but the reticence was almost unbearable. Without saying a word to Granny once they arrived home, they both ascended the stairs to her room, and they sat down on her bed, leaving a few inches between them.

While Ed was trying to think of all the reasons why Winry didn't tell him about this Erik bastard, Winry was berating herself for _not_ telling him. Ed was her fiancé; technically, he deserved to know, right? Didn't he deserve to know if there were any jerks trying to get into her pants while he was away? Winry already knew that answer and wanted to smack her own self with her wrench for being so stupid. For keeping her issues with Erik a secret from him, she could only imagine what he must think. She suddenly felt the need to clear the air immediately.

"Ed?"

…

"Yeah?"

Winry couldn't bear to look at him, afraid of what he might think of her. She spotted an oil stain on her floor and stared at it, seeking comfort in the black smudge. "I didn't cheat on you…, if that's what you're thinking…."

"You thought I thou—" Ed's eyes instantly widened. She couldn't be more wrong. hopped off the bed before dropping to his knees in front of her. His fingers clutch hers desperately, surprising Winry when he dropped his face to kiss them. She smiled at his tenderness, her chest blooming with so much love for this man. His solemn eyes found hers as his fingers threaded with hers slowly. "Win, I could never… I would never think…," he cursed quietly to himself as his words fumbled and flopped out of his mouth. He exhaled deeply and tried again. "I trust you, Winry. With everything that I am, I trust you, and I'm sorry if… if my silence made you think differently. That wasn't my intention, Win. I swear."

Winry leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his, her long hair splaying over their faces like curtains as if her blonde strands were shielding them from the rest of the world. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his breath caressing her neck. His palms take hold of her face gently, and he tilts his head up slightly to graze his lips over hers. They tickled like the flutter of a butterfly's wing, and this closeness... this sort of intimacy… overwhelmed her with so much emotion for the man in front of her. Her fingers braided into his long hair, and their mouths found each other again, exuding a deeper passion and longing for one another.

And when her lips slowly popped off his, Winry couldn't hold her feelings in any longer, and now that Ed was home to stay, she was no longer apprehensive of their future together. She could feel his lips feathering hers as if he couldn't survive without her kiss, and she closed her eyes, her forehead touching his again. For the first time in her life, she wasn't afraid or embarrassed of the feelings she felt for him, and she didn't shy away from them. Like velvet, her voice was soft and earnest like rose petals, the sweet words finding solace once spoken. "I love you, Ed," she repeated between their kisses as his fingers interlaced with hers.

His golden eyes bore into her blue ones as their mouths separated, and she bit her bottom lip, waiting for him to say something. Ed couldn't contain the happiness he felt; he had loved Winry a long time, and he knew she loved him too even if they had never confessed, but to hear those words… the words he had been so afraid to say for far too long… dance from Winry's mouth and feel them twirl into his heart, made him feel like the happiest bastard alive.

Without warning, his mouth crushed into hers, hard. She scooted backwards and fell into the pillows of her bed, bringing him down with her. He kissed her throat once and feathered his lips seductively along her neck and across her jaw before whispering in her ear, "I love you too, Win."

Their eyes connected, and for a few seconds, the world stood still. A new level of intimacy shocked through them, and before either one of them knew it, they collided together like two stars in the vast universe, their pent-up desire for one another suddenly spiraling out of control.

And it was about damn time.

* * *

 **I'm really enjoying writing this story. :)**

 **In case you were wondering, next chapter will focus more on Winry's explanation.**

 **As always, please review! They help motivate me to write more. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**WriterFreak001:**

 **I started writing this chapter a while back, but for some reason, I didn't like it, so I started over. I apologize for the delay. Life happened.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

A few hours after dinner, Pinako eventually retired for the night, leaving Ed and Winry downstairs to talk. When Winry didn't instigate the conversation, Ed plopped down to the floor in front of her and covered her knees with his hands, his impatience growing. He waited all afternoon and through most of the evening for them to have this conversation, and though she had promised to tell him 'later tonight,' but he couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to know why the hell that bastard, EriK Schlimme, was following his fiancée earlier today, and he wanted to know NOW.

When he didn't say anything first, Winry cocked an eyebrow and frowned a little. "Is something wrong?"

"You said we'd talk about what happened earlier later tonight, and my patience span is growing thin, Win. I've waited as long as I can, and now I want to know why that fucking bastard was stalking you today." Edward's nose flared as his eyebrow twitched. Winry sensed his irritation and sighed loudly, knowing there was no point in delaying the inevitable anymore.

Placing her hands on top of his and then squeezing them gently, Winry pulled her fiancé to his feet as she stood up and said, "Let's go for a walk. I don't want to wake up Granny." She slowly led him outside but didn't speak as she led him away from the house. Still clutching his right hand with her left, Winry tugged him towards their favorite spot underneath the large tree perched on the highest hill in town and encouraged him to sit down on the bench overlooking the hills of Resembool. She took a seat to his right and released his hand before clasping hers together. Seeing how tense she was, Edward casually draped his arm over her shoulders and tugged her close to him for comfort. After he shifted a little so that she could be a little more comfortable, she rested the back of her head against his collarbone and exhaled quietly as she snuggled against him.

After a moment of silence, Edward cocked an eyebrow as his cowlick shot straight up. "I'm waaaaiting."

"Well," Winry pressed her lips to a fine line, "where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning, I suppose," Ed replied, not sure how else she was going to explain things.

"Okay," Winry answered simply and paused to assemble her thoughts. "Well, growing up, surely you knew he had a crush on me, yes?"

Edward chuckled quietly. "Yeah, he wasn't exactly hiding it. Though," the former alchemist frowned, "it always bugged me every time he flirted with you, talking about his fake interest in automail and practically anything else you would tell him."

"I don't think his interest in automail was fake," Winry replied nonchalantly. "He actually seemed to know what he was talking about, and because his father is also an engineer, I'm not surprised he understood many of things I spoke about. But anyway," Winry realized they were getting off topic, "I don't think he's stopped liking me…."

"Liking is an understatement if he's stalking you," Ed mumbled to himself, but with the glare he received, he realized he wasn't quiet enough. "I'm just saying," he waved his left hand in defense and awkwardly laughed, "the guy clearly has issues, okay?"

"Well, duh," Winry rolled her eyes playfully and giggled. "Oh! Remember that time when you, me and Al were playing in the fields on our way home, and I fell and busted my knee?"

"Yeah?" Ed blinked, unsure how _that_ had to do with anything at all. "What about it?"

"Remember when Erik ran up to me to see if I was okay?"

Edward huffed loudly. "Well of course I remember that. That little bastard came out of nowhere and got to you before I could," but then he smirked, "and yet, when he tried to play doctor, he threw up all over Alphonse when he saw you dig the rocks out of your wound so that you wouldn't get an infection from them."

Winry let out a loud laugh, followed by Edward's quiet snickers. "And then after you told the whole school what had happened, the poor idiot was donned with the nickname, 'Squeamy Schlimmey' for his entire school career." She wiped a small tear from her eye, "Good going, Ed."

"What?" He questioned with mock-innocence. "I was a jealous jackass back then. What do you expect?"

Winry's expression swiftly changed, and she frowned deeply at his response. "And now _he's_ the one who's acting like the jealous jackass."

Ed immediately stopped laughing and gave Winry his undivided attention. "You mean he's not just following you?"

Winry shook her head, but before Ed could jump to conclusions, she quickly said, "Every once in a while, he'll corner me somewhere in town or on my way home and will ask me to be his girlfriend. He started doing that two days after you left for the west," Winry's hands balled into fists, "and no matter how many times I told that sicko that you and I were together, he'd continue to harass me every few months regardless of my response. Just a few months ago, he asked me to cheat on you with him so I smacked him hard across the cheek, hoping _that_ would get through to his thick skull. Until this morning, he hadn't tried anything since, but I knew… I could feel… that he was watching me from a distance. So I started bringing Den with me to town whenever I needed to get some errands done. Whenever Den was around, Erik stayed away. But because I was on my way to meet you at the station this morning, I didn't bring Den. Should have known he'd encounter me again."

"And just what the hell did he do?" Ed asked, ready to pound Squeamy Schlimmey in the goddamn fucking face.

"You can relax, Ed," Winry whispered in a calm voice as she placed a hand on his upper thigh. "He didn't do anything more than the usual… I honestly didn't give him any time to ask me to be his girlfriend again. As I was literally passing him, he asked me why I was in town, and I told him it wasn't any of his business. The only weird thing was that he seemed pretty bothered when he realized I was heading for the station to meet you." Winry stretched out her arms and yawned as she snuggled up against Ed again. "This might sound weird coming from me, but I'm worried, Ed. Now that you're home for good, I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that he's going to try something drastic…."

Edward's right palm lightly patted the top of Winry's head to give her some comfort. "Don't be worried, Win. I'm a lot stronger than I was when we were younger, and even though I don't have alchemy anymore, I'm one badass fighter. If he tries something again, I'll kick him to Xing. I'll make sure that bastard realizes he's messing with the wrong couple. So don't you worry about a damn thing, Winry." Ed protectively wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "He won't be a problem anymore."

Winry really wanted to believe Ed, but she couldn't shake off the dreadful feeling that something bad was going to happen.

And for the first time in her life, she really hoped she was wrong.

* * *

 **WriterFreak001: I know this chapter was a lot shorter than the rest, but I wanted to update asap since it's been so long since I updated anything to this story.**

 **The next chapter should be much longer. :)**

 **Please PLEASE review this story if you want more and are enjoying it. One of the main reasons why it took me so long to write this chapter was because of the lack of reviews. It made me think no one was liking it. So please, if you are enjoying this story, please review and let me know. It would definitely brighten my spirits. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**WriterFreak001:**

 **HAVE YOU SEEN THE LIVE ACTION YET?! Fdsajfkdlsa;fjdskal;! Personally, I loved it, and though I won't spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen it, I will advise you to have an open mind when you** **do** **watch it. ;) TRUST ME! :) IT'S AMAZING! (Note: I started writing this chapter the weekend after the movie was released. Heh.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

"I know you didn't have to, Win, but thanks for coming with me to the train station," Edward beamed brightly as he squeezed his fiancée's hand tightly, "It means a lot."

"Of course I had to," Winry chuckled a little and turned slightly to kiss Ed's shoulder. "Who else will keep you in line around Mei? Al and I both know she's not your favorite person in the world, so it would be great if you could be on your best behavior while she's visiting, okay?"

Ed released Winry's hand and crossed his arms in defiance. "I'll only behave if _she_ behaves. One comment about my temper, my attitude towards her or my lack of alchemy, and all bets are off." Winry could almost see air flush out of his nose like a bull, and she couldn't help but let out a little laugh. Ed's eyebrow twitched from her response.

"And why is that?" she wiped away a small tear from her eye and leaned dangerously close to him. With a cocked eyebrow, she smirked widely. "Oh, wait! Let me guess. In the past she has said at least one or all of the following: "You're short-tempered. You're short of heart. And your alchemy, for lack of a better phrase, has shorted-out." Her smirk widened when she noticed his eyebrow tic again. "How am I doing so far?"

Edward's whole face was twitching as he quelled his initial reaction upon being called 'short' anything and gave Winry a look of annoyance. "Congratulations. You know me so well."

Winry giggled and stepped out in front of him, cutting between him and the path towards town. She strung her arms around his neck and leaned in close. "I don't know why that word bothers you so much these days. Even if Mei sees you in any of those ways, you're _not_ short anymore so those sorts of comments shouldn't get to you like they used to. And besides," she glided her palms to his face and smoothed her thumbs over his cheeks. "You don't have to be so insecure about being short-anything anymore. You've got me," she winked. "And that's never going to change. And even if you _didn't_ grow taller, I'd still date you."

Ed puffed out his cheeks, embarrassed. "I w-wasn't insecure! And that's completely bull! Al told me that when he proposed to you back when we were six or seven, you told him you didn't want to marry someone who was shorter than you!"

Winry's eyebrows raised towards the sky. "Oh. I guess I did say that." She smiled awkwardly and waved her hand as if to push the memory away. "But that was then…, and this is now! And in my defense, I was just a kid, and now that I think of it," she paused briefly in reflection, "you weren't smokin' hot back then. And don't forget," she pointed to his crotch and sneered. "You grew in other ways too."

"Puh-lease," Ed chuckled as his nose sharpened with pride, "I was always smokin' hot, and in spite of my height, I've always been," he grinned ear to ear, " _well endowed_. You were just too much of a gearhead to notice."

It was Winry's turn to twitch her eyebrow. "Okay, I admit, I was more focused on automail to notice your physique while growing up, but I wasn't the only one who was blind. If I recall, during our first night together, you had let it slip that the first time you noticed me as a woman was when you had a front row seat to my boobs the night I returned from Briggs. If I remember correctly, I caught you staring as if I had grown them overnight."

Ed's cheeks flushed from the memory. "I-I didn't see _all_ of it. Just b-barely your nipples and below… But that's beside the point!" He wished the ground would swallow him whole and end this conversation. "The keyword is _seen_ ," he scratched the side of his face as he willed himself to calm the heck down. Even though he now knew what she looked like underneath her clothes, that memory was still an embarrassing one to talk about. "I have thought of you as a woman plenty times before then; and give me some slack," he jammed his hands into his pockets and started picking up his pace, but she easily caught up to him, "it's not my fault you didn't check your room before you started to strip."

"I shouldn't have to," Winry's brow ticked upward.

"I—" Ed started to speak but sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this argument no matter how hard he tried to fight it. He relented and nodded slowly with a quiet chuckle. "Fair enough."

"But you know," Winry elbowed Ed in the ribs and wiggled her eyebrows playfully, "starting tonight, we'll be sharing a room while Al and Mei are visiting. If I suddenly start stripping in front of you, whether I know you're in the room or not, you better damn well finish it."

"Touché," Ed couldn't help but grin as he wrapped an arm around the middle of her back and pulled her closely to his hip. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed her softly before swiftly hoisting her up into his arms and pinning her against the trunk of a large tree that was behind him. Winry sighed into his mouth and hummed with delight when his lips trailed along her jawline and fluttered down her neck to her throat.

 _Oh. Oh my…_

 _._

 _.._

…

"Well I guess this explains why the two of you never made it to the station," Alphonse was grinning ear to ear as the couple jumped apart, looking slightly guilty for losing track of time. Ed awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as Winry did everything she could not to look directly into Al's eyes. During the two years between saving Amestris and journeying West, Ed and Winry never actually discussed their relationship with Alphonse even though it had been pretty obvious they were together. It was just weird, and Ed would rather swallow a thousand needles than talk to his younger brother about his love life, and Winry didn't really think it was her place to discuss those things with him. He was Ed's brother, not hers. (And even if he _was_ her brother, she wouldn't share that sort of thing). And Alphonse never asked; he never needed to.

Alphonse suddenly stepped to the side and turned towards the shy Xingese princess standing behind him. "Looks like you owe me 1000 cenz."

The princess sighed in defeat and passed him a bill as if she'd already knew he was going to win their bet. Winry and Ed shared a look of confusion before frowning at the younger couple.

"You bet on us?" Winry slipped her hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around her wrench just in case.

"It was Alphonse's idea!" Mei exclaimed, pointing to her boyfriend. "I promise, I was against it initially!" Princess or no princess, she rose her hands up in defeat, ready to beg for forgiveness. Over the past several years since her last visit to Amestris, Mei had grown up quite a bit in age and maturity. She was no longer the brazen child who would jump at the chance for battle. Though the fire in her eyes never died, she transferred most of her energy into learning how to behave like a princess of Xing. Because the new king promised good fortune to her clan, she decided she needed to learn how to act more like a lady in order to represent her family upon being summoned to the palace. But in spite of her maturing demeanor, she didn't want to be an outsider again. She wanted to be in the good graces of Alphonse's brother in case he became her future family, and she definitely wanted to make good friends with Winry. She barely knew the young woman and didn't speak to her much during her last visit, and since Winry was and will always be a big part of the Elric brothers' lives, Mei was eager to befriend the mechanic. She just _knew_ placing a bet on Edward and Winry was a bad idea!

Alphonse waved his hands in defense and chuckled softly. "We were waiting for about five minutes, so I thought it would be fun to bet on what might have happened to you."

"Out of curiosity," Ed blinked and first looked at Mei before turning his attention to his brother. "What did you bet for, Al?"

Al couldn't help but grin. "Only that you two would be making out instead of making your way to the station. I give you props though; I didn't actually think you'd make it out of the bedroom door."

Winry and Mei's cheeks flared like tomatoes as Edward smirked and gave his brother a thumb's up. "You make me pr—"

WHAM!

The next thing knew, Ed was sent backwards by the force of Winry's wrench, but before he could even react, she whirled around and smacked her tool into Al's temple too.

"WINRY, WHAT THE HELL?!" / "WINRY, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" The brothers were immediately coddling the bruises forming on the sides of their heads. Mei immediately dropped down to Alphonse's side, quietly asking him if he was all right as Winry contemplated whether or not to remove Ed's leg and make him crawl back home.

"Let's go, Mei," Winry ignored them completely. "Men who joke about relationships don't deserve to have them." Without waiting for the princess, Winry stormed off, wishing she had stayed to clobber her fiancé.

Mei eventually followed, but it wasn't because of Winry's cold response, but because of something else that intrigued her greatly. She sensed a dramatic shift in the flow of energy surrounding the female mechanic that she hadn't noticed earlier, and she wanted to check it out for herself. She had a guess as to what it might be, but she had to be sure in case it was something else entirely.

Leaving Ed and Al behind, Mei took off swiftly, calling out to the Amestrian woman to wait up.

"W-What just happened?" Al asked, completely and absolutely confused as to why Winry would react weirdly to a mere joke.

Ed frowned and gave his brother a shrug. "When it comes to Winry? No fucking clue."

* * *

 **YAY! ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETED! (Finally!)**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**WriterFreak001:**

 **I know I sound like a broken record when I keep apologizing for delaying this story, but between working 3 jobs, participating in other fandoms, visiting my grandfather in the hospital and having a car accident, I'm surprised I'm even sane enough to type! ~**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

After having some time to herself to cool off, Winry was baffled. She knew Ed and Al had the occasional betting habits and often gambled on strange things, so she really shouldn't have blown up like that back there, but for some reason, in the moment, yelling at the Elric brothers and ramming their heads with her trusty wrench seemed like the right thing to do.

And yet, she really couldn't recall what initially made her mad.

She just… was. And then she wasn't. It was weird, _really_ weird.

Granted, Winry knew she sometimes lost her temper over some really small things, but this time, getting mad at the brothers almost seemed too ridiculous. Didn't it?

Winry spotted the house in the distance and slowed her pace, debating whether or not she should go back and apologize. But before she could make her decision, she heard Mei calling out for her from the direction she'd just left. When the Xingese Princess finally caught up to her, Mei immediately doubled over with hands on her knees and hyperventilated.

Winry cocked an eyebrow. "Are you… are you all right?"

Mei nodded with a large exhale. "Ever since the new Emperor deemed me as his ward and promised to protect my clan, I've had to dress differently…," She straightened herself and patted down her silky gown. "These princess garbs do not provide a lot of room to breathe. Running or exerting too much energy tires me out more quickly. It's a pain."

"Ah," Winry noted as she observed the younger woman's fine robes of purple and blue. "Well, while you're visiting, we can go shopping for more comfortable clothes for you so that you can enjoy your stay here more."

"You don't have to go through that trouble for me. I'll manage," Mei blushed a little, embarrassed. She fiddled with her smooth, fine hair as Winry grinned.

"Don't worry about it," the mechanic beamed with a giggle. "Vacation is where you're _supposed_ to splurge on shopping, anyway! And besides," she smirked, "I've got the whole day off tomorrow. I'm sure Ed and Al will want to catch up and do idiot guy things, so we'll use that perfect opportunity to waste their money right under their noses."

"W-Wouldn't that be stealing?" Mei was almost shocked, horrified by the thought of taking her boyfriend's money. Alphonse was so sweet and gentle, and he often spoiled her with lovely gifts, but she never dared to ask him for money. She relied mostly upon her own savings (basically whatever she receives from the new emperor of Xing), and she was proud to be able to sustain herself without her boyfriend's involvement, but it was nice, dare she ever admit it, to come home to a new silk kimono or a pretty pair of earrings.

"Hardly. Even though I'm perfectly capable of sustaining on my own, ever since Ed and I started dating, he's been more than happy to throw money my way. He's got too much of it for his own good, so he begs me to use it anytime I want. Usually I don't because I hardly go shopping for new things other than automail parts, but…" Winry shrugged, "I now have a reason to splurge with Ed's money so I'm going to splurge. If he doesn't like the bill after tomorrow, then he should have thought twice before laughing when Al mentioned that bet." She clenched her fist, suddenly wanting to return to the boys and clobber them again.

"About that…," Mei frowned, ashamed for betting with Alphonse about Edward and Winry's love life, "I'm sorry. It was rude and insensitive to bet on you and Edward like that. I should have just stayed quiet when Al brought it up initially instead of encouraging it."

Winry exhaled deeply and opened the gate leading to her grandmother's house. "To be honest, I'm not really all that angry. Am I peeved? Yes, but I overreacted back there. Ed and Al have been betting against each other for years ever since they were small, so I shouldn't have been surprised. The anger I felt in the moment was so sudden and completely random, that I didn't know what to do to control it. Any time I've been angry in the past, I would usually unleash my wrath onto Ed, but only when it was justified." She paused for a moment and stuffed her hands into her pockets, "I guess I should go back and apologize?"

"I'll come with you," Mei offered with a smile, but Winry shook her head.

"It's hot out here, and you're hardly dressed for Resembool, no offense. Granny is in the house, waiting for you and Al, so go ahead and head inside and cool down. I'll go find the boys," the blonde mechanic offered before immediately spinning around, thrashing open the gate and racing back towards the station.

Mei didn't even have time to blink.

* * *

Mei did as she was instructed and found her way inside the AutoMail home. A black and white dog rushed towards her and sniffed her dress like crazy as an elderly woman slowly approached her.

"You must be Mei, Al's girlfriend." Pinako smiled warmly, and Mei flushed deeply.

"Oh! Um. Yes!" she nodded swiftly, giving Pinako a bow of respect. "Al has told me much about you, and I am so thankful for all you have done for him. Any one dear to Al is very much dear to me," Mei lifted herself with poise and grinned. "I'm so glad to finally meet you."

Pinako chuckled. "If I had a cenz for every time I wished Al, Winry and Ed would greet me with such respect, I'd be a millionaire." Her comment made the princess blush deeply, so she quickly added, "It was no problem at all. Al and Ed are like grandsons to me; it was the least I could do. If anything," Pinako said as she started hobbling towards the stove, "Ed deserves far more credit for Al than me. I may have cared for them when they visited, but if it wasn't for Ed's quick thinking, Al might have not survived the incident which made him the way he once was."

"Him?" Mei blinked with confusion. "Ed was the reason Al's soul was saved?"

Pinako turned slowly and took off her glasses to clean them as Mei approached her. "Dear," the elderly woman lifted an eyebrow, "how much do you know about that night? The one where Al became a suit of armor?"

"Not much," Mei sighed as she took a seat at the kitchen table. "Really, the only thing I know is that he and his brother did something awful and had to pay a big price for it. Al lost his soul, and Ed lost two of his limbs. Al doesn't go much into detail, and I never pressed him. I figured he would tell me the whole story in his own time."

Pinako nodded. "And in his own time, he shall. The Elric brothers have been through far more than any child I've ever known. They never really shared what happened to them because they didn't want others to carry the burden they've carried for most of their lives. And even though Al has his body back, and Ed has regained his arm, I suspect they'll be burdened by the past for the rest of their lives." Pinako placed her glasses back onto her face and gave Mei a small smile. "I can see why Al fancies you; you're a loving young woman who obviously cares for Al very much, but I must warn you…" she paused for a moment, "don't bring up Al's past even if you're curious about it. The boys have made peace, finally, with their lives and the burdens they carry. Though the weight will never go away, they've learned to deal with it and live their lives as peacefully as possible. If Al and Ed are happy, that's all that matters. Understand?"

Mei nodded swiftly as Den walked up to her and laid down on the floor, heaving a large sigh. To change the subject, Mei reached down to pet the dog's ears and smirked a little. "You said you've known Al for a long time, yes?"

"I've known them their whole lives." Pinako grinned, "and by the look on your face, you're hoping I would have some embarrassing stories to share?"

Mei couldn't help but blush but nodded anyway.

Pinako cackled. "Well…"

* * *

"I don't understand that woman, sometimes," Ed sighed as he and Al started for home. "I thought she gave up punishing me with that goddamn wrench." He wiped off a drip of sweat from his brow and picked up a long stick for no apparent reason. He started dragging it on the ground as he sulked.

"I mean, I understand why she whacked you, but why me? I'm innocent," Al complained as he rubbed his bruised cheek.

"Hardly," Ed spat and rolled his eyes. "So maybe I shouldn't have laughed back there, but you shouldn't have made a bet about our love life, funny as it might have been."

"But that's the thing," Al crossed his arms and pursed his lips for a moment. "You and I used to gamble _all_ the time about silly stuff. She never hit us then…, so why now? Why was she so upset?"

Edward hummed to himself. "She _does_ seem more sensitive than usual… maybe she's sick?"

"Sick of what? You?" Al couldn't help himself and chuckled, receiving a glare from his older brother. "Because _that_ I would believe."

"Watch it," Ed nearly barked, pretending to slug his brother. "If you must know, Winry and I are well-fucked, thank you very much."

"Argh!" Al clamped his hands over his ears. "Don't tell me that!"

"Relax," Ed rolled his eyes and laughed. "It's actually a good thing you know that because even though you and the shrimp are staying with us, it doesn't mean we'll be discreet."

Al cringed and stopped walking for a moment. "Go home without me," Al said as he suddenly started sprinting back towards town.

"Where are you going?!" Ed called after him, only to hear, 'I'm going to buy earplugs!' in the distance. He couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly and without warning, a hand grabbed his shoulder, nearly scaring the shits out of him as he jumped out of his skin. He whipped around only to find his girlfriend huffing and puffing, using him as support. "Jesus, Winry! Don't do that!"

He helped her straighten herself and then pinned her to his hip with his arm wrapped firmly behind her to keep her from falling. They started walking back towards Pinako's house together.

"Sorry," Winry eventually spoke as she leaned into him. "I don't know what came over me earlier… I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for something so silly, and I really don't know why I did get mad, only that it was a sudden and random feeling." She stopped walking, causing him to look at her. Her eyes began to well up at the sight of the bruise on his temple, "Will you forgive me?"

"Don't worry about it," Edward lowered his head and plopped a kiss down on her crown. "I'm used to your wrench anyway so it didn't really hurt. And besides, I was being a jerk back there for laughing so I kinda _did_ deserve to be whacked in the head," he grinned widely, causing Winry to slowly smile. She hugged him and held him as close as she could before he began to lean down to kiss her. But just before their lips touched, Winry pulled away and glanced around him.

"Where's Al?"

"Not here," Ed replied, not wanting to divulge. He leaned forward again, aiming to kiss her, but she moved away again.

"And he's not watching?"

"Goodness, gracious, woman!" Ed rolled his eyes and impatiently cupped her face, keeping her head still. "Don't make me beg, dammit!"

And she didn't.

* * *

 **I apologize for the long wait! Lots of work to do, so little time. Sigh.**

 **I also apologize if this chapter seemed rushed. I wanted to get it out as soon as possible to move the story along.**


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